Boston Public Radio

In 2019, several states have passed laws restricting access to abortions, leaving some wondering if it means the end of Roe v. Wade.

Emily Bazelon is the author of "Charged: The New Movement to Transform American Prosecution and End Mass Incarceration," a new book that examines prosecutorial power, and how that has affected the justice system for decades.

Another hate crime rattled a synagogue this weekend, leaving one woman dead and others injured. Reverend Irene Monroe and Reverend Emmett Price say this shooting fits into a pattern of white nationalist violence.

The secretary of state touted his success in keeping the state safe in 2016, and is confident he'll be able to do it again in the next election.

In response to the release of the redacted Mueller report, Rep. Ayanna Pressley has renewed her call to impeach President Donald Trump.

Following the release of the redacted Mueller report Thursday, Rep. Jim McGovern told WGBH News he “doesn’t trust” U.S. Attorney General William Barr’s assessment that there was “no collusion” between Russia and the Trump campaign in the lead up to the 2016 election.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened Monday's show by opening lines, to talk with listeners about how you’re navigating your pandemic Thanksgiving. NBC Sports Boston anchor and reporter Trenni Kusnierek discussed the passing of former Celtics player, coach, and play-by-play announcer Tommy Heinsohn, who died this month. She also discussed the spread of COVID-19 in collegiate football, and a recent piece by Kurt Streeter in the New York Times about running while Black. Boston Globe business columnist Shirley Leung discussed her latest writing on blowback to a string of worker layoffs at the Boston Marriott, whose let-off workers aren’t being paid full severance. She also discussed some anti-racist efforts of Boston businesses, and how her kids are handling the boredom of pandemic life. Lauren Kennedy talked about broad inefficiencies with America's childcare system, and what her non-profit Neighborhood Villages is doing to support working mothers and families through the pandemic. Kennedy is the co-founder of Neighborhood Villages, which has created the Boston Children's Relief Initiative Program. Irene Monroe and Emmett Price, host of GBH’s All Rev’d Up podcast, talked about work being done in Dedham to honor the overlooked legacy of Black Civil War veteran (and church founder) William Benjamin Gould. They also talked about the right-wing campaign to smear Democratic Senate candidate Rev. Raphael Warnock. We returned to callers to hear about your experiences trying to juggle childcare with everything else going on during the pandemic. Naturalist Sy Montgomery recounted the story of a Northern saw-whet owl who got trapped in the Rockefeller Christmas tree, and a Florida man who went viral after rescuing his puppy from an alligator. She also offered up details about her newly-released book: an illustrated children’s version of her memoir “How to Be a Good Creature.”

Today on Boston Public Radio: Media maven Sue O’Connell discussed her expectations President-elect Biden’s handling of LGBT issues, and reflected on the widespread child sex abuse scandal hanging over the Boy Scouts of America. We opened lines to talk with listeners about your experiences with the Boy Scouts of America, and what you make of the organization’s uncertain future in light of widespread child abuse allegations. Beat the Press host Emily Rooney weighed in on former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s erratic press conferences, the approval of two prospective coronavirus vaccines, and read a Thanksgiving-themed list of fixations and fulminations. Under the Radar and Basic Black host Callie Crossley discussed a petition from Harvard University affiliates to prevent Trump administration officials from teaching or speaking on campus. She also touched on the ending of O Magazine, former President Obama’s new memoir, and ongoing efforts by President Trump to delay the certification of votes for Joe Biden in the 2020 election. Mass. A.G. Maura Healey called in for our monthly edition of “Ask the A.G.,” where she discussed whether she’d accept a position in a Joe Biden administration, offered her thoughts on President Trump’s attempts to overturn his 2020 election loss, and spoke on her office's newly-released report exploring racial inequities in health care. She also took time to respond to questions and comments from listeners.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Chuck Todd, moderator of “Meet the Press” on NBC, talked about the latest news regarding President Trump’s attempts to negate his election loss, and spoke on the thousands of frustrated Fox News viewers migrating to stations like OAN and Newsmax. Next, we opened lines to talk with listeners about your plans for this COVID-era Thanksgiving. Former Suffolk County sheriff and secretary of public safety Andrea Cabral gave a debrief on the various efforts by GOP leaders to overturn the results of the November election, from figures like President Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, Sen. Lindsey Graham, and others. Artistic director Michael Bobbitt discussed the anti-racist efforts of his New Repertory Theater, and what he feels needs to happen in order to better diversify American theater spaces. He also talked about the latest project from New Rep: a virtual play series called “Showstopper." Food writer Corby Kummer talked about the CDC’s recent recommendation that Americans avoid traveling for the holidays, upsides to Thanksgiving takeout, and why he’s skeptical about the safety of outdoor igloos at restaurants. Tech writer Andy Ihnatko discussed the return of Charlie Brown holiday specials to cable, why Apple’s new CPU chip is such a big deal, and how smartphone tracking systems might curb future efforts at voter suppression. Ihnatko is a tech writer and blogger, posting at Ihnatko.com. Nia Grace returned to talk about how her restaurant, Darryl’s Corner Bar & Kitchen, and others Mass. restaurants are faring as temperatures dip and COVID numbers rise. She also talked about the takeout options her restaurant is serving up this Thanksgiving. Grace is the Owner and Operator of Darryl’s Corner Bar and Kitchen in the South End, and one of the founders of the Boston Black Hospitality Coalition.

Food writer Corby Kummer spoke to Boston Public Radio on Thursday about how to celebrate Thanksgiving during the pandemic. Should typical Thanksgiving celebrations be ‘canceled’ this year? Kummer says yes. “It is my prescription, and it is the CDC’s prescription as of this morning,” he said. “The safest way to celebrate Thanksgiving, says the CDC, is to celebrate at home with the people you live with.” Kummer is a senior editor at The Atlantic, an award-winning food writer, and a senior lecturer at the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition and Policy.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened the show by opening lines, to talk with listeners about the Baker administration’s efforts to keep schools opened in Mass., despite of surging coronavirus cases. Medical ethicist Art Caplan broke down the latest news around coronavirus vaccines, including the logistics and timeline of distributing them throughout the world, and the importance of staying cautious in the months leading up to their widespread national distribution. CNN analyst Juliette Kayyem talked about President Trump’s continued attempts to negate his election loss, with the recent firing of Christopher Krebs, who headed the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and who pushed back against the president's claims of widespread election hacking. Boston Globe culture columnist Jeneé Osterheldt discussed her new multimedia series for the Boston Globe called “A Beautiful Resistance,” about celebrating Blackness in America. She also weighed in on the historically tragedy-oriented coverage of Blackness that was a partial inspiration for creating the series, and Kamala Harris' soon-to-be role of first Black first lady of the United States. Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Barry Blitt talked about his decades-long career as a political cartoonist, and reflected on his experience lampooning President Trump throughout his campaign and presidency. Journalist Sy Montgomery talked about the return of pets to the White House in the form of Champ and Major, Joe Biden’s two German Shepards. She also touched on some notable pets of presidents past, and discussed the various ways turtles troubleshoot when they end up on their backs. We closed out Wednesday’s program by returning to listeners, to talk about your feelings on presidential pets.